Niv Lesson 04-12-2009

Christ and Creation Unit 2: The Dawn of New Life (Lessons 6-9)

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INTRODUCTION

DEVOTIONAL READING:

A. REMEMBERING TO REMEMBER

1 CORINTHIANS 15:12-26

It is funny how the human mind remembers. Friends and family will sometimes tell us stories of events we participated in firsthand only a few years back, but we may have absolutely no recollection of them. Then we may hear an old song on the radio that we haven't heard in years and, in­ stantly, every word of the lyrics comes back to mind. I imagine some of this has to do with the level at which the original context affected us. Forgetfulness takes several fonns. Some forgetfulness is hannless and some is hannful. Some is accidental and some is intentional. Does it surprise us that jesus' followers all seemed to have forgotten that he foretold his suffer­ ing, death, and resurrection? How could they forget something so crucial? And what do we learn from the different ways they responded to the news of this life-changing event when reminded?

BACKGROUND SCRIPTURE:

LUKE 24:1-12 PRINTED TEXT:

LUKE 24:1-12

LESSON AIMS

After participating in this lesson, each student will be able to: 1. Retell Luke's ac­ count of the women's experience on resurrection B. LESSON BACKGROUND morning. In Luke 9:20, Peter was the first disciple to confess jesus as Messiah (or 2. Compare and contrast Christ). jesus responded by warning that he was to suffer, die, and rise on the the various levels of beliefof third day Shortly thereafter, following a crowd-dazzling healing display, jesus impressed upon his followers that he would be betrayed. But they didn't un­ those first told of the resurrec­ tion with the varying levels of derstand (9:44, 45). jesus later alluded to being killed in jerusalem (13:33). faith expressed. He also said that he had to suffer and face rejection (17:25). 3. Plan to discuss with an As the time of his death drew closer, jesus repeated these predictions. He unbeliever the facts ofJesus' was to be handed over, mocked, beaten, and killed, but would rise on the resurrection. third day (18:31-33). Still his disciples did not grasp what he was saying. jesus gave his disciples several opportunities to expect his death and rec­ ognize it for what it was: a temporary stop on the path to resurrection. But they did not comprehend. Indeed, they could not because it had been con­ cealed from them (Luke 9:45; 18:34). God planted a seed within them that was to bear fruit only after Christ's resurrection. Our text today records how jesus' closest followers first responded to the news of that resurrection. The events that transpired before it are familiar to long-time Christians. jesus was betrayed and handed over to jewish authorities. They handed him over to Roman authorities. Pilate gave in to the crowd's wish that the inno­ cent man jesus be crucified. Since it was the day before the Sabbath,jesus' body was removed quickly from the cross and placed in the tomb of]oseph of Arimathea. Then on the third day the unbelievable happened.

KEY VERSES

24:1-3) A. ROUTINE PREPARATIONS (v. 1) 1. On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the I. EMPTY TOMB (LUKE

spices they had prepared and went to the tomb.

\Vhy do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen! -Luke 24:5, 6

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The first day of the week is of course Sunday. Jesus was crucified and died two days previously, on Friday. Since Saturday was the Sabbath, it would not have been appropriate to anoint Christ's body with spices on that day. Pious Jews are careful to avoid all fonns of work on the Sabbath (Luke 23:56). Coming into contact with a dead body, especially on a "special" Sabbath Qohn 19:31), creates problems of ceremonial uncleanness (Num­ bers 19:11). So Friday evening the body had been taken off the cross and hastily placed in a tomb to await final burial preparations. Luke 23:54-56 tells us that the women who followed Jesus from Galilee take it upon themselves to prepare the spices the day of Christ's death and then wait until the first day of the week, after the Sabbath, to administer them. The time of day (very early in the morning) shows us how eager the women are to complete this task. Psalm 30:5 says "weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning." God is about to dry the tears of all Jesus' followers and change the course of world history.

7 NOTES

Do You THINK? How do you prepare to honor Christ on the first day of each week? WHAT

B. UNEXPECTED FINDINGS (w. 2, 3) 2. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, Mark 16:3 tells us that the women wonder who will roll the stone away so they can gain entrance to the tomb. When they see that the stone is already moved, they may be both relieved and startled. Who has done this, and why? Perhaps the women think that Joseph of Arimathea has courteously spared them the burden of trying to roll back the heavy stone. After all, the grave site does belong to him, and he has taken a keen interest in providing for Jesus' burial (Luke 23:50-53). One mental image of this gravestone is that of a giant sphere that rolls downhill into the cave mouth, thus securing it from intruders. This is one possibility, but there is at least one other. The stone may be a flat, round disc that rolls side to side in a track running in front of and parallel to the cave opening. Such stones may thus be rolled to the left or right to gain access to the interior. 3.... but when they entered, they did notfind the body of the LordJesus. If the women are not disturbed by the moved stone, the fact that the body is missing certainly alanns them! What thoughts flash through their minds? Have they come to the wrong tomb? Not a chance! These same women per­ WHAT Do You THINK? sonally had followed Joseph to the grave and witnessed the location of]esus' What was a time when lifeless body (Luke 23:55). you didn't find Christ as you Have Jesus' enemies stolen his body in order to subject it to further dis­ expected to find him? How do grace? One can only imagine the rush of mixed thoughts that come over the you remain open to admitting women. But they do not wonder for long. and adjustingyour wrong ex­ pectations? II. HEAVENLY MESSENGERS (LUKE 24:4-8) (w. 4, 5) 4. While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. God supplies an answer through two men clad in clothes that gleam like lightning. They are later identified as angels (Luke 24:23). This event parallels the appearance of two men to the disciples to interpretjesus' ascension into Heaven (Acts 1: 10). Perhaps God chooses two angelic messengers to satisfy

A. ANGELS ApPE4.R TO THE WOMEN

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the requirement that weighty claims be confirmed by two witnesses (Deuter­ onomy 17:6; 2 Corinthians 13:1; Hebrews 10:28; Revelation 11:3).

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DAILY BIBLE READINGS

Monday, Apr. 6--God 5. In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the Raised Him from the Dead men said to them, "Why do you look for the living anlOng the dead? (Acts 13:26-33) Apparently the appearance of the angels is more startling than verse 4 Tuesday, Apr. 7-God's would imply! The women respond to the awe-inspiring presence of angels as Powerfor Us (Ephesians 1: any of us would if approached by heavenly messengers: the women are terri­ 15-23) fied, bo\\ing theirfaces to the ground in respect. The angels respond just as in \Vednesday, Apr. 8­ Acts 1: 11: they greetJesus' followers with a question. In Acts, angels ask why First Fruits of the Dead (l his followers are staring up into Heaven; here, angels ask why these women C011nthians 15:12-26) are looking for their living Savior among the dead. Thursday, Apr. 9-Buried and Raised with Christ CEMETERIES (Colossians 2:6-15) I have an abnormal interest in cemeteries. Perhaps it is because of my interest Friday, Apr. 10-Walk in history, but I find cemeteries fascinating. Sometimes I like to wander through in Newness of Life (Romans old cemeteries just to see what I can find. 6:3-11) One day when I was in Baltimore, I was walking through a section near down­ Saturday, Apr. II-Seek town and discovered an old church with a small cemetery Included was the grave the Things Above (Colossians of Edgar Allan Poe. I have visited the grave sites of Washington, Uncoln, Roben 3:1-11) Frost, and several other famous people. I have visited the cemetery in Salzburg, Sunday, Apr. 12-C1111St Austria, that was used for some of the footage near the end of the movie The Sound . Has Risen (Luke 24:1-12) ~fMusic. In all these visits I was keenly aware that the graves held the mortal remains only of people who were dead. If a person is alive, we do not expect to find him or her in a cemetery except for brief visits. The Wall StreetJournal ofjuly 23, 2007 carried a front-page story entitled "Uberia's Tombs Shelter Much More Than the Dead." The story was about children, criminals, and poor people who live subsistence lives in a cemetery after being displaced by war. This grates against our sensibili­ ties (compare Mark 5:3). The location ofjesus' tomb is irrelevant today precisely because we don't seek the living among the dead. -j. B. N.

B.

ANGELS REMIND THE WOMEN (w. 6-8)

6, 7. "He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was

still with you in Galilee: 'The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of

sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again. '"

The prospect thatJesus could be alive is certainly inviting. But what do the messengers mean by their question in verse 5? Those words can be inter­ preted in more than one way. So the messengers quickly clarify. They remind the women of Christ's prediction of both his death and resurrection (Luke 9:22; 18:31-33). Jesus had known all along what would take place, and he had told his followers as much. Yet his followers do not remember. It is as if God wanted Jesus' followers to hear the predictions for the purpose of later recollection as a testimony of God's control over these events. It is also important to note the language the angels use to describe what happened to Jesus. He has risen is the language of resurrection. The kind of resurrection at issue is not just any kind of postmortem existence. It certainly does not mean thatJesus' spirit mystically departed his body to take on a new bodiless form (Luke 24:39). It does not mean merely that the disciples will feel Jesus to be alive in their hearts. Rather, it means that God has raised Jesus bodily. llo.........~~~_

Do You THINK? What are some ways you can remind yourselfof the fact of the resurrection? Why and when do you need this reminder? WHAT

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Visual for Lesson 7. Ask your class, "Why does the message on this visual bear continuous repeating?"

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; 8. Then they remembered his words. With the angel's words of clarification, it all begins to make sense. What the disciples had never caught on to during Jesus' ministry, the women fi­ nally begin to grasp. Jesus' suffering and death have been intentional, as is his resurrection. These are deliberate parts of God's plan. This passage teaches us an important lesson about instruction and mem­ ory. Words don't always hit home when first heard. They may be recalled and recognized as being true only after being fulfilled. Parents know this all too well! Although they are not divinely inspired prophets, parents know from experience how a certain course of action their child is about to take is bound to turn out. The parent warns the child, but the warning "goes in one ear and out the other." The child goes ahead, suffers, and then hears the parent say, "I told you that would happen. You should have listened." But one cannot recall what one has not heard. So it is important that Chris­ tians continually proclaim the good news of Christ to the lost. They may not immediately respond favorably to our message, but as life deals its ups and downs they may be able to discern God's hand at work, if they have been told already of a God who loves them enough to work in their lives. For similar rea­ sons, parents continue to raise even their most rebellious children in the Lord. They hope with tears that later in life their own prodigals will someday recog­ nize and submit to the gospel truths that they heard long before.

III. RELAYED MESSAGE (LUKE 24:9-12) A. WOMEN TELL THE ApOSTLES (w. 9,10)

9. When they came back from the tomb, they told all these things to the Eleven i and to all the others. The Eleven disciples are the first to hear the relayed news. There are only . eleven because Judas has taken his own life (Matthew 27:3-10). In his Gos­ pel, Luke does not tell us ofjudas's suicide, but he alludes to it in Acts when the apostles select another to take his place (Acts 1:12-26). The eleven are not alone. There are other followers with them or very close by. One wonders what they are all doing together (seeJohn 20: 19). Are they trying to regroup, trying to figure out how to put their hves back in order, hav­ ing previously turned them upside down to follow Jesus? Or are they praying , to God for some bit of guidance about what to do next? Jesus' ministry has been too powerful among them simply to believe it could end just like that. Whatever their thoughts and activities, one suspects that they should be the most receptive group to the women's testimony. Jesus had told the dis­ ciples personally that he was to die and rise again. But like a good storyteller, WfL4.T Do You THINK? Luke holds us in suspense before reporting their response. He does this by 'V'hat lessons do you learn pausing to name the women who bring the good news. from the first telling of the 10. It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother ofJames, and the others message of the resunection? with them who told this to the apostles. Here we are given the names of the first witnesses to Christ's resurrec­ tion. We don't know if they are simply in the right place at the right time or if God intentionally chooses to entrust the message of Christ's resurrection to women first. The latter idea is in keeping with Luke's presentation of God's high regard for those whom the first-century world does not esteem highly. Women, children, foreigners, and social outcasts often play important roles in Luke's Gospel account. 'I'

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Luke first introduced Mary Magdalene and Joanna back in 8:2,3. We learn there thatJesus cured these women of various evil spirits and infirmities. They then began traveling with him and providing for his financial needs. The word Magdalene is not a surname as we think of such today; rather, it re­ fers to the fact that this particular Mary is the one who comes from Magdala, which is near the Sea of Galilee. An amazing thing aboutJoanna is that her husband is the manager of Herod's household. Identifying Mary the mother ofJames is more difficult since there are sev­ eral women named Mary in the New Testament. This particular Mary is also identified as the mother oEjoses (Matthew 27:56, 61; 28: 1), and we know thatJesus had brothers named James and Joseph (Matthew 13:55), although some Greek manuscripts spell Joseph's name as Joses. Thus one logical guess is that this Mary isJesus' mother. It would be odd, however, thatJesus' mother would not be called as such at this point rather than by two of his half-brothers. In Acts 1: 14, Luke refers toJesus' mother as "Mary the mother oEjesus," not the mother oEjames and Joses;Joseph. So Luke has no problem identifyingJesus, mother in this way John's Gospel does not help us resolve this issue. He mentions only Mary Magdalene as discovering and relating the story of the empty tomb Oohn 20:1, 2). John locates three different women named Mary atJesus' cruci­ fixion: Mary Magdalene,Jesus' mother, and Mary the wife of Clopas Oohn 19:25). This latter Mary could also possibly be the mother of men named James andJoses;Joseph. B. ApOSTLES DOUBT THE WOMEN (w. 11, 12)

11. But they did not believe the women, because their words seemed to them like nonsense. Firsthand testimony is what the angels have given to the women. Second­ hand testimony is what the women pass along to the disciples, and this results in disbelief. Jesus had told the disciples firsthand of his impending death and resurrection, but they do not accept the women's secondhand tes­ timony regarding fulfillment. They go so far in their disbelief as to think that the women have fabricated tales-pure nonsense! We should not assume that the disciples reject this testimony because the witnesses are women. The resurrection is an extraordinary event that requires great faith to accept. Even when Jesus later reveals himself to disciples in per­ son, they express doubt, wondering if he is a ghost (Luke 24:36-43). It is not until they touch him with their hands that they truly believe. Even so, Jesus will pronounce blessing on all who believe reliable testimony about him, al­ though that testimony be secondhand Oohn 20:29). TALL TALES

There is a genre in American literature called the tall tale. It consists of a "hero story," featuring a larger-than-life character. The character is bigger and srronger than most people, even if the story is based on an actual person. Exaggeration and hyperbole are major ingredients in these stories. The hero usually faces a particu­ lar task and then resolves it in an unusual and humorous way. Exaggerated details flesh out the story, adding to the humor and the novelty of the tale. Well-known examples of tall tale are the ones told about Paul Bunyan and his Blue Ox, Pecos Bill,]ohn Henry the Steel-Driving Man, and]ohnny Appleseed. A typical exaggeration is the story of Paul Bunyan pulling a ship through the English

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How TO SAY IT

Arimathea. AIR-uh-muh­ THEE-uh (th as in thin). Clopas. KLO-pus. Corinthians. Ko-RIN-thee­ unz (th as in thin). Deuteronomy. Due-ter-AHN­ uh-me. Galilee. GAL-uh-lee. Joses. JO-sez. Judas. JOO-dus.

Magdala. MAG-duh-luh.

Magdalene. MAG-duh-leen

or Mag-duh-LEE-nee. Pilate. PIE-lut.

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Channel-a ship so large that it scraped the sides, thus creating the white cliffs of Dover. The tall tale format has been used in teaching creative writing to children; they imagine a scenario in which they can improvise on a normal situation but exaggerate it and develop it into a tall tale. lt is always presumed that listeners can tell the difference between a tall tale and a truthful account. But some tale-tellers can become very credible in their exaggerations, and some truthful accounts are hard to imagine. That's the dilem­ ma faced by the aposdes when they heard the women. Was it a tall tale? Or was truth stranger than fiction? The answer became clear to them, and so must it to us. -JB.N.

Do You THINK? How does the testimony of your church cause others to come to it and check it out? What do (or should) they find when they arrive? Uohn 13:35 will be impor­ tant in your answed WHAT

12. Peter, however, got up and ran to the tomb. Bending over, he saw the strips of linen lying by themselves, and he went away, wondering to himselfwhat had happened. The action of Peter represents another kind of response to secondhand testimony: investigation. Peter will not accept the women's testimony blindly, nor does he merely reject it without testing it for himself So he runs straight­ way to the tomb. Peter, whose last recorded deed to this point has been to weep over denyingJesus, is more than mildly interested in his master's pos­ sible return! Peter's findings are inconclusive. The empty tomb and the pile of body wrappings do not contradict the women's testimony. But there is no angel sighting. Peter departs the cave wondering what has happened, wondering where his Lord may be, and likely wondering whether he will get a second chance to prove his love for Jesus. i Peter will get all the proof he needs soon enough!]esus' resurrection PRAYER means a new start for us still today. There are many who have heard of God's Father in Heaven, may . offer of forgiveness and new life, but they are waiting on more evidence. They we not keep your plan to are looking at the lives of Christians and evaluating whether we truly possess ourselves. May we offer it the new life we claim is possible. Unfortunately, when they don't see it in us, boldly to all whom we meet. they often assume it is not true. So God's people must not only talk of new Let us not be intimidated by appearances or status. Let us life, we must diligently seek to embrace it fully and live it daily in the sight of nonbelievers. not be discouraged by rejec­ tion or ridicule. Forsaking worldly praise let us do your CONCLUSION will, knowing that the Lord of To~ay's le~s?n reveals.a critical time for "the ~leven" because they, as we, resurrection life is also Lord were m a poslUon of relymg on secondhand testImony. Of course, they go on of the harvest. ThroughJesus to seeJesus firsthand, which placed them in a different position from ours. Christ our risen Lord amen. During this brief but critical window-the time between getting secondhand , and firsthand testimony-we see some variation in response to testimony of Christ's resurrection. Some thought others to be peddling tall tales. Some tested the claims. At least one believed after conducting a test without actu­ ally having seen the risen Jesus (John 20:8). Another absolutely refused to believe without firsthand evidence (John 20:25). Despite the variety of initial responses, all oEjesus' followers ultimately believed his resurrection. Today, Jesus does not stand among us physically to invite us to touch his nail-scarred hands as he did with Thomas. But God has left us with plenty of other evidence to create belief : So let us not be discouraged by the variety of responses we receive to the I gospel message. Let us not give up persistently proclaiming Christ to all peo­ I

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pIe regardless of how they initially respond to us. Equally important, let us live with integrity and joy the new life Christ's resurrection has made possible for us. For Christ is indeed risen!

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THOUGHT TO REMEMBER

Live and proclaim Christ's resutfection.

Discovery Learning

The following is an alternative lesson plan emphasizing learning activities.

Classes desiring such student involvement will find these suggestions helpful. At the

back of this book are reproducible student pages to further enhance activity learning.

INTO THE LESSON Lead into a discussion of burial rituals by saying, "Death has always been mysterious to us. Various explanations have surfaced throughout the centu­ ries to explain what happens at the point of death and afterward. Humans naturally want to 'make sense' out of things. What are some of the differ­ ent rituals and ceremonies surrounding death and burial that have been practiced by various civiliza­ tions? What customs do we observe today? How do these ceremonies help people make sense of, or at least cope with, the mystery of death?" At some point in the discussion, have the class contrast the Christian view of death with a non­ Christian view. What makes the difference? Be sure to point out that the resurrection of]esus is the defining point of belief and hope for the follower of Christ.

INTO THE WORD

jesus' body.) Groups 1 and 2: "What surprised the women when they arrived?" (The stone was rolled away, and jesus , body was missing.) Group 1: "How did the women react to the angels?" (Fear and bowing down.) Group 2: "What did the angels tell them had happened to Jesus?" (He had risen from the dead.) Group 1: "What words ofJesus did the angels repeat?" ("The Son ofMan must be delivered into the hands ofsiriful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.") Group 2: "What did

the women do after they heard the angels' mes­ sage?" (Retumed and told what had happened to the apostles.) Group 1: "What were the names of some of the women who went to the tomb?" (Mary Mag­ dalene, joanna, Mary the mother ofjames.) Group 2: "How did the apostles react to the women's report?" (They didn't believe them.) Group 1: "What did Peter do?" (He ran to the tomb to seefor himself.) Group 2: "What did Peter find?" (The burial clothes,

but no body.)

Select class members to represent various Conclude by saying, "The events in today's text characters in a skit about the story in Luke 24. caused a turning point for all the people involved and even for us today. Let's see how many things These include Mary Magdalene, Joanna, the sec­ we can name that are different because of this day ond Mary, two men (angels), Peter, and some other apostles. As either you or another narrator in history." Jot answers on the board. You can ask reads verses 1-12, have the characters act out the the two groups to alternate in answering. scenes. Read slowly, pausing long enough for each INTO LIFE scene to be enacted. When the skit is completed, divide the class The application of these exercises is thatJesus' into two groups. Alternate in asking each group resurrection changes lives. Write the following the follOwing questions. Ask them to answer from words across the top of the board: Home, Work/ School, Community, and World. Have the students memory, but allow them to use their Bibles if necessary. relate ways thatJesus' resurrection has affected Group 1: "What was the day and time when them in each area of life listed. Write answers the women came to the tomb?" (Very early Sun­ under each heading. day moming.) Group 2: "What had the women Then say, '1\t first even Jesus' closest friends did brought with them, and for what purpose?" (They not believe that he had risen. They wanted proof. brought spices they had prepared to place around The same is true today. Many people do not believe

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in the resurrection at all. They reject Christ's res­ urrection." Ask someone in class to represent the point of view of a person who does not believe in the resurrection. (Arrange for this before class time so the person can be prepared.) Have students tell the "unbeliever" of]esus' resurrection, trying to persuade him or her that it is true. Keep in mind that perhaps someone in the class is not fully con­ vinced of the resurrection and will be listening for answers to his or her uncertainty.

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Ask if some would be willing to tell of a time they doubted]esus' resurrection. Why did they doubt? Do they doubt now? What changed their belief? Did another person's life have any effect on them, either causing doubt or causing faith? How do we as Christians appear to those who do not follow Christ? Discuss how our lives can be a hin­ drance or an encouragement to those seeking the truth. Distribute one or both of the reproducible activities on page 377 as take-home work.